SEO (search engine optimization) earns rankings in search results. AEO (answer engine optimization) shapes content so a direct answer can be extracted from it. GEO (generative engine optimization) makes your business clear and credible enough for AI models to name and cite. They overlap heavily: GEO and AEO build on a solid SEO foundation.
Key takeaways
- SEO = be listed. AEO = be extracted. GEO = be named and cited.
- Most of the work overlaps — one well-structured site serves all three.
- Start with technical SEO, then answers, then identity and corroboration.
Side by side
| SEO | AEO | GEO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank in results | Be the extracted answer | Be named and cited by AI |
| Where it shows | Google, Bing results | Featured snippets, voice, AI answers | ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, AI Overviews |
| Key levers | Crawlability, relevance, links | Question headings, direct answers, lists | Entity clarity, facts, AI crawler access |
How they fit together
Think of them as layers. SEO gets your pages found. AEO makes the right passage easy to lift. GEO makes the AI confident enough to attribute it to you. Skipping the bottom layer weakens the others.
What to do first
- Fix technical SEO and indexing issues.
- Add question headings with direct answers on key pages.
- Mark up your business identity and keep it consistent everywhere.
- Allow AI answer crawlers and publish an llms.txt.
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